The health department has been working with local partners and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to determine how many Douglas County residents might qualify for COVID-19 booster shots.
According to Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health, the CDC is currently recommending that only people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised receive a third dose, at least 28 days after the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
That includes people who have:
- Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
- Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
- Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
- Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
- Advanced or untreated HIV infection
- Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response
Those who might qualify should speak with their healthcare providers to discuss their options, LDCPH said in its Monday update.
There’s not enough data yet to know whether an additional dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will improve immune response in people who are immunocompromised, according to LDCPH.
As local case numbers continue to rise, wearing masks indoors should be “the new normal,” according to LDCPH Director Dan Partridge.
According to a Monday update from LMH Health, over the past 14 days, COVID-19 positivity rates in Douglas County have been highest among those ages 10-17, nearly double any other age group.
“With the Delta variant and our cases and hospitalizations increasing recently, it’s about creating a new normal in our community right now surrounding mask wearing in indoor public places and getting vaccinated,” Partridge said in Monday’s update from the health department. “Every action we take in that direction is important to protect our neighbors, especially in ensuring our school kids can have a safe start to the school year.”
See the latest COVID-19 stats for Lawrence and Douglas County on The Lawrence Times’ stat dashboard at this link.
Find out where you can get the free COVID-19 vaccine at this link.
Related COVID-19 coverage:
Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark (at) lawrencekstimes (dot) com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
